


Cruel Universe, Merciful Universe

by ScottieIsImpatient



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Hurt No Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:27:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29686044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScottieIsImpatient/pseuds/ScottieIsImpatient
Summary: There are worse ways to go.
Relationships: Malcolm Reed & Charles "Trip" Tucker III
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	Cruel Universe, Merciful Universe

**Author's Note:**

> or as I like to call it
> 
> Malcolm fucking dies again

It wasn’t, he decided, all that bad of a way to go.

Certainly, he could think of a dozen better, more honourable scenarios, but in the end, the outcome was the same, wasn’t it?

Besides, he thought, staring up into the unyielding sun, there are far worse ways to die.

He could feel his vision begin to tunnel, his limbs fluctuating between lead heavy and feather light. The pain varied from sharp twinges significant enough to make him hiss to dull aches pounding in his joints. He didn’t know why his body was fighting so hard to keep him alive, why his heart frantically pumped blood only for it to leak out the wound in his chest.

He didn’t know what force was keeping him here.

He wished it would give up soon. The aliens would keep his crewmates occupied for a little while, but there was a reason he’d picked only the best security officers for this particular mission.

Suddenly a voice cried his name in alarm, the sound echoing through his skull and causing all sorts of new pain. He closed his eyes. Of course, the universe wouldn’t even be so merciful as to let him die before seeing the devastation on his crewmate’s faces.

He blinked his eyes open once more, his vision plunged into darkness as a figure loomed above him, shadowing him from the sun. “Oh, god,” drawled a thickly accented voice.

A warm hand was laid gently against his cheek. Had he the strength to move, he would have leaned into it.

“God,” said the voice again. “I…” There was a faint sniffle, then the sound of a pocket opening. “Jus’ hang in there, Malcolm. Hang on.”

Pain erupted in Malcolm’s body as something pressed hard against the wound. He yelped, arched his back, his hands wandering, fingernails digging into palms.

“I need help over here!” Tucker shouted among the haze of pain. “So much blood. God damnit, get Phlox on standby!”

Somewhere far off a voice gave an answer which Malcolm could not comprehend.

“Hang on, buddy.” A familiar calloused hand slipped into his own and Malcolm gripped it for dear life. The pain was fading once more, instead settling into an uncomfortable pressure against his inner chest and abdomen. “Fuck, we’ll have to use the transporter. He ain’t gonna last on a shuttlepod…”

Whether Tucker was talking to himself or an unseen crewman Malcolm did not know. His worldview had narrowed, his focus dimmed. He no longer had the strength to keep his eyes open, but he could still feel the hot sun beating down, the soft grass tickling his skin ever so slightly – and the weight of Tucker’s hand in his, reminding him he wasn’t alone.

Perhaps it hadn’t been a cruel trick on the universe’s part after all. Perhaps it was a blessing.

Despite the pain in his chest, Malcolm smiled, and the world spun into darkness.


End file.
